Lipid composition of bile in morbid obesity before and after jejunoileal bypass surgery

Bile cholesterol, phospholipids, total bile acids, individual bile acids, and fatty acid compositions of bile neutral lipids and phospholipids were analyzed before, at one month and at six months following jejunoileal bypass surgery in a series of morbidly obese patients. Preoperative mole percentages of cholesterol and lithogenic indices were high, indicating that biles were supersaturated with cholesterol and outside the micellar solubility zone when plotted on triangular coordinates. At the one month post-operative period percentages of cholesterol and lithogenic indices were significantly increased as compared to the pre-operative state. At six months post-operatively these values had decreased to approximately the pre-operative levels. No changes were observed in percentages of lithocholic acid, but deoxycholic acid decreased to markedly low levels at one month and remained low at the six month post-operative interval. Relative proportions of cholic acid increased, and the ratio of cholic to chenodeoxycholic acid was significantly increased at both post-operative intervals. No significant changes were noted in bile neutral lipid or phospholipid fatty acid composition, indicating that no depletion of essential fatty acids had occurred.     

Lack of reliability of the SISI procedure for determining inner ear threshold

Ten normally hearing subjects were tested using the conductive short increment sensitivity index procedure to evaluate the 60-dB constant as used in the test described by Byers (1974). Also investigated were the effects of frequency and order of presentation on the short increment sensitivity index at high sensation levels. Test frequencies included 1, 2, 4, and 6 kHz in random order. Means of all frequencies exceeded the 60-dB constant implemented by Byers (1974). Intersubject variability was large. Frequency and order of presentation were not statistically significant factors. It was recommended that the conductive short increment sensitivity index be used with caution.     

A simplified surgical approach to the incomplete form of testicular feminization

A simplified surgical approach to the intersex child with the incomplete form of testicular feminization is presented. The procedure is particularly useful in patients where the gonadal tissue is located in the scrotolabial folds and eliminates the necessity for exploratory laparotomy. Representative drawings of the procedure are shown.     

Effect of chronic denervation on the activities of monoamine oxidase and catechol-O-methyl transferase and on the contents of noradrenaline and adenosine triphosphate in the rabbit ear artery

When assayed on homogenates of the rabbit ear artery up to 192 h after sympathetic denervation, the activity of monoamine oxidase (MAO) showed a small but significant decrease (maximum 9%). The activity of catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) appeared unchanged, although it is possible that the small and variable nature of this enzyme activity compared with that of MAO may have masked a comparable effect of denervation. The maximum decreases in noradrenaline (NA) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) contents were greater than 90% at 48 h, and 32% at 96 h after denervation. These results confirm the presence of neuronal as well as extra-neuronal MAO, and also the presence of extraneuronal comt in this artery. The decline in ATP contents after denervation suggest that part of the ATP is neuronal. However, the estimated ratio of NA to neuronal ATP is far in excess of that reported for isolated noradrenaline storage vesicles, suggesting that the major portion of the neuronal ATP was not present in these vesicles.     

Diseases of yearling feedlot cattle in Colorado

During all of 1974 we surveyed, for illnesses and deaths, about 407,000 yearling feedlot cattle. The morbidity was 5.1%, with a case mortality of 18.9% and a population mortality of 1.0%. Both morbidity and mortality were higher during fall and winter than during spring and summer. Of the 3,943 dead cattle, 1,988 were necropsied. The most prevalent diseases were: pneumonia, 48%; diphtheria, 6%; brisket disease, 6%; hemorrhagic colitis, 5%; riding injury, 4%; bloat, 3%; calculosis, 2%; endocarditis, 2%; abomasal ulcers, 2%; bovine viral diarrhea, 2%; embolic pulmonary aneurysm, 1%; and pulmonary edema, 1%.